Kind Regards, Michelle Aitken is a one-woman play about side hustles, emails and trying to find your place in the wide world of work. This is a show for anyone who has sent an email that didn’t receive a reply – or in other words, everyone.

Michelle details the trials and tribulations of trying to make ends meet in roles that are mundane, unfulfilling, and occasionally ethically questionable with humour and humility. Michelle expresses this through a series of (sometimes slightly embellished) personal stories which are peppered with surprising pangs of heartfelt vulnerability. She perfectly echoes the repetitive nature of hustling and many side-gig type jobs while always remaining entertaining. If you’ve ever worked one of these jobs you understand that this is no mean feat.

Michelle uses the enticing and vague language so often seen in job listings and interviews to her advantage to expose the reality of many of these positions. She details the hidden fees, despicable wages and unrealistic expectations that plague these industries with great satirical wit.

Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not all professional gigs and MLM chat. The peak of the play involves a gold lamé lama costume and if that isn’t enough to convince you to see it, I don’t know what is. I promise you it’s even better when you have the context but I don’t want to give too much away.

Michelle is the voice of the side-hustle generation and I’m not just saying that because she said to on Instagram while promoting this show. She is a natural performer, capable of commanding a room with a voice that is both deeply individual and very relatable.

To see Kind Regards, Michelle Aitken is to dip a toe in the pool of approachable alternative theatre. Michelle has found her one true hustle and I hope that the next time I see her is on stage, where I believe she belongs.